


Safe

by RiTheBiGuy_RileyTMR



Series: Alphabet [19]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 14:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiTheBiGuy_RileyTMR/pseuds/RiTheBiGuy_RileyTMR
Summary: A patient comes into the hospital on her death bed and Claire feels bad for her when she realises her family isn’t coming.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Series: Alphabet [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718374
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I haven’t posted in this series for so long! The word I picked today was Safe which was suggested by quasiouster (QuasiOuster).
> 
> Don’t forget to leave a suggestion for T!

“We’ve got a woman in her mid eighties, seems to have had a heart attack, we’ve stabilised her but she’s still critical,” an EMT called out as Lim, Claire and Morgan surrounded the woman.

“Okay, we’ve got it from here thanks,” Audrey said as they began working on the patient.

”Her BP’s dropping!” Claire shouted, looking at the monitor as it continued to display the irregularities from the woman’s heart, the monitor started beeping and warning lights came on, “She’s crashing!”

”Can we get a crash cart over here?” Morgan called out and a nurse quickly pulled one over. Claire started chest compressions as Morgan attached the defibrillator.

”Clear!” Audrey called as the other two women stepped aside and their patients body jolted, “no change, let’s up the charge and try again,” Claire continued with the compressions as the defibrillator charged up, moving away again when she heard “clear!” Come from their chief of surgery, the woman’s body jolted again and the monitor started its steady beeping again, “alright, she’s back with us, let’s medicate her and get her into a proper bed, Claire I’ll need you to monitor her, if her condition worsens then we may need to fit her with a pacemaker.”

”Got it,” Claire replied, wheeling the women out of the room.

Maggie Thomas was confused when she woke up in a bright room, she looked around and saw a pretty young doctor checking a chart at the end of the bed she was laying in. She stirred and the doctor smiled at her.

”Hi there, glad to see you’re awake,” the young woman greeted her.

”What happened?” Maggie asked.

”You had a heart attack and were rushed to hospital,” the brunette replied, Maggie nodded slowly in understanding, “we found a driver’s license on you that said Margret Thomas, is that you?”

”Yes,” she answered, “although people usually call me Maggie.”

”Well Maggie, I’m Dr Browne,” the doctor said, smiling at her. She came over and started checking on her. Maggie watched her before asking her a question.

”Would I be able to make a phone call?” She asked.

”Of course,” Dr Browne replied, “we have alerted your next of kin but if there’s anyone else you’d like to speak to then I’m sure I can get a nurse to bring a phone in here,” Maggie swallowed as she thought of what her eldest sons reaction would be to hearing she was in hospital again.

”Yes please,” Maggie said, the young doctor smiled and left the room.

Claire arranged for a nurse to set up Ms Thomas with a phone before leaving her to make whatever phone calls she felt necessary. After a while she went back into the room and found the older woman looking out of the window from where she sat in her bed.

”Can I get you anything Maggie?” She asked. The other lady turned towards her and smiled.

“I’m okay dear,” she replied, has anybody told you that you are a beautiful young woman?” Claire blushed and smiled widely.

”My fiancé does all the time, but he’s a massive romantic,” she chuckled.

”Well he’s right,” Maggie sighed and looked out of the window again, “you remind me of my daughter, I have three children, two boys and a girl. Well I say children but they’re all adults off doing their own things now,” she smiled fondly, “Lauren, that’s my daughter, was always a lovely young lady, she started struggling after the death of her father and when I started having heart problems a few years ago, they all distanced themselves,” she looked back at Claire, “I don’t think they wanted to get hurt by watching another parent slowly die, they promised they’d be there when I eventually shut my eyes to die.”

”I’m sure they will be,” Claire responded, a sad look in her eyes.

”I doubt it, so when I was writing my will I put that whoever was by my bedside when I died would get all off my life savings, they don’t know this though,” Maggie told the young doctor, “I called my solicitor earlier, he’s going to be here to make sure the right person got my fortune, I do this every time I’m taken into the hospital and every time none of them show up.”

”I’m sorry to hear that,” Claire replied. Maggie looked back out of the window, she looked like she was about to say something else when she suddenly clutched her chest, Claire ran over to her as the monitor next to her started beeping, “I need a crash cart!” She shouted and nurses soon flooded the room as they worked on the older woman.

”You’re going to need a pacemaker Ms Thomas,” Audrey told the woman as she, Claire and Morgan stood at the end of her bed.

”No,” the woman replied simply, the three doctors looked at each other.

”You’ll die without it,” Morgan told her.

”I know,” Maggie replied, “but I’m tired, I’m back and forth to hospitals and doctors appointments, I have nothing left to live for and I don’t want to waste equipment that can benefit someone else,” she smiled sadly at the three women, “I’d like to sign a DNR,” she requested. The doctors all nodded in understanding.

“I’ll go get the paperwork,” Audrey said, leaving the room, Morgan following behind her.

”Would you like me to call the rest of your children?” Claire asked.

”It’s alright dear, my solicitor has already done it, he’s left messages for them but none of them has answered yet,” she told her.

”Well I’m sure they’ll all be here when they get the phone calls,” Claire tried to comfort her before leaving the room.

That evening, after Claire’s shift, she headed back to the older woman’s room to make sure she was comfortable, she was curious when she entered the room and saw a safe sitting in the corner of the room.

”It’s purely symbolic,” Maggie said noticing her curiosity, “the actual money is in a bank account.”

”I see,” Claire responded, “how are you feeling?” She asked.

”As well as can be expected when you’re dying,” Maggie replied.

”I can give you some more morphine if you’d like?” Claire said and the older woman nodded. She went over and added the substance to her IV. 

“So tell me about this fiancé of yours,” Maggie said and Claire smiled at her.

”Well, he’s also a surgeon here, he’s very talented and smart, absolutely gorgeous,” she listed and Maggie grinned.

”He sounds like a real catch,” she replied.

”He is,” Claire stated, “I’m very lucky to have him.”

”Well from what I can tell, you deserve a man like him Dr Browne,” the elderly woman told her.

”My names Claire,” the surgeon said, “at least that’s what you can call me,” Maggie smiled.

”That’s a beautiful name, it really suits you.”

”It does,” they heard a voice say from the doorway, Claire turned and saw Neil standing there.

”This must be the fiancé,” the patient said.

”You’ve been talking about me?” Neil asked amused, “I am flattered.”

”I forgot to add that he has a big ego,” Claire teased and Neil faked being hurt.

”You were right about the gorgeous part though,” Maggie said and Neil chuckled, coming over to put an arm around Claire’s waist and kissing her cheek.

”How did you know where I’d be?” She asked him.

”Morgan told me about your patient and I knew exactly where you’d be.”

”She is definitely a doctor who cares about her patients,” Maggie smiled, “it’s nice to see, there’s not enough of those.” 

“Well you’re very lucky to have Dr Browne caring for you,” Neil replied.

”Anyway, Maggie this is Neil, Neil this is Maggie,” Claire introduced them. Neil shook the older woman’s hand.

“Nice to meet you,” he said.

”You too Neil,” she replied, looking him up and down, causing the two doctors to chuckle.

”What’s with the safe?” He asked, indicating the large box in the corner of the room. Maggie explained the situation to him and he got a sad look in his eyes when he realised this woman may die without her children holding her hands, he understood now why Claire was sticking around after her shift.

”Don’t look so sad,” Maggie told Neil, noticing the look on his face, “I’ve come to piece with the fact that they may not show up,” Claire went over to her patient and grabbed her hand.

”It’s their loss,” she told her, squeezing slightly, the older lady smiled at her, “but you won’t be alone, she told her, “I’ll be here for you, nobody deserves to die alone, especially such a lovely woman.” 

“You don’t have to do that dear,” Maggie said, “I’m sure there are other patients who need you.”

”My shift is over now, so I have the time,” Claire insisted.

”I’ll be here too,” Neil said, stepping over to his fiancé and putting a hand on her shoulder. They watched as a tear fell down the older woman’s face.

”I can see why you two are together, you’re both so kind hearted, it really is beautiful that you two found each other,” she told them. Claire and Neil smiled at each other.

”There’s something I have to sort out but as soon as it’s done I’ll be back,” Neil said, smiling at the patient before kissing Claire’s cheek again and leaving the room.   
  


Neil entered the room later that night and found Claire and Maggie playing cards. He walked over and placed a bag down on a nearby surface. He started pulling the contents out as the two women watched him. He turned and saw Maggie looking at him with an amazed look on her face.

”I hope you like Chinese,” he said as he handed each of them chopsticks.

”It’s my favourite,” she replied, Neil told her what he’d brought and she told him what she liked before he handed her a couple of containers. He handed Claire’s food to her before sitting down and eating his food. The three of them ate in silence before Claire dealt Neil into their card game.

They played for a couple of hours before Maggie began to get tired, she laid down and looked at the two surgeons sat either side of her bed.   
  


“Would you be able to get my solicitor on the phone? I need to check something with him before I fall asleep,” Maggie asked.

”Of course,” Claire replied, she grabbed her a phone before the two doctors left her to make her call. After a few minutes they saw he put the phone down and went back into the room.

”Everything sorted?” Neil asked and the older woman nodded. They both sat back in their chairs and each took one of her hands. They’ve seen this many times before and knew that she was close to the end.

”Thank you,” she said weakly to them, “I’m so glad- that I got- to meet you both,” she was struggling to get the words out at this point, Claire could tell that the pain in her chest was worsening so she upped her morphine and the woman seemed to be more comfortable after a moment. She squeezed both their hands gently before shutting her eyes. Claire felt a tear slide down her cheek as they watched the life fade from the woman. She looked over at Neil who was also holding back tears. They heard the monitor give a few more beeps before the lights began flashing as her heart rate dropped. It soon become one long beep as she flat lined and Claire stood up, she turned off the screen before looking down at the now lifeless woman, she placed a hand on her head and smiled slightly at her before closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. She removed her hand from the woman before looking at the clock in the room.   
  


“Time of death, 23:32,” she said, Neil stood up and carefully placed the sheet over the woman’s face. He then walked around to where Claire was stood and pulled her into a hug. She held him tight and cried into his chest. He let a few of his tears fall as well and he kissed his fiancé’s head. She pulled back and looked at him.

”Want to go home?” He asked. Claire looked down at the body on the bed.

”There’s nothing more we can do for her,” she said and Neil nodded. He grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.

The next morning, they were paged to Dr Lim’s office as soon as they entered the building. They gave each other a look before heading there. Neil knocked on the door and stepped in when he heard Audrey call out to them. They were surprised to see her standing in the room with a man they didn’t recognise.

”These are Dr’s Claire Browne and Neil Melendez,” she said to the man who stepped towards them and shook their hands.

”I’m Gary Edwards,” he told them, “I was Ms Thomas’ solicitor,” they looked at him, confused as to why he was here, “before Maggie died she called me and asked for some changes to be made to her will,” he explained, “she had a fairly large amount of savings in her bank and she told me that she’d like to make a couple of donations,” he looked over at Audrey, “she wanted to donate just over 2 million dollars to the hospital,” he said, the three doctors looked at him in shock, “she was so impressed with how well she was treated here and how two incredible surgeons stayed with her up to the very end,” Audrey looked over to Neil and Claire, and proud look on her face. Gary turned to look at them too, “there was another donation she wanted to make,” he told them, “she has asked to donate 10 thousand dollars to the two surgeons who were with her,” the surgeons in question looked at him in shock, “she said she hopes you two can have the wedding of your dreams.”

”That’s incredibly generous of her,” Audrey said as Claire and Neil stood there, not knowing what to say, “and due to this generosity, we’d like to rename on of our wards the Margret Thomas ward.”

”Maggie,” Claire cut in, “she preferred to be called Maggie,” Audrey smiled at the younger woman.

”The Maggie Thomas ward it is,” she corrected. Gary nodded before looking at his watch.

”I have another place to be now,” he said, “so I hope you all enjoy the rest of the day,” he left the room and the three that were still in there all looked at each other.

”Good work you two,” Audrey said eventually, “I’m proud of you both,” Neil and Claire smiled at her before leaving the room.

”We should probably set a date for the wedding then,” Neil said grinning down at the resident, she grinned back and wrapped an arm around his waist, giving him a side hug. He hugged her back before kissing her head and pulling away, “we better get to work,” he told her and the heading in opposite directions.

**Author's Note:**

> Don’t forget to leave a suggestion for T!


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